Attaching Solar Trickle Charge to RV Cover

The best answer for this depends on a couple of details.
Like:
Do you have access to AC power at the storage location?
Is there a roof over the storage location?

Attaching a solar panel to an RV cover doesn't sound like a good idea to me......unless maybe that "cover" is an actual roof.

P.S. Any charger you leave connected to it should be an automatic one and not the "dumb" trickle variety.

For clarification: No AC. It's a storage lot. Pretty sure "the guy" wouldn't appreciate me running a 300ft extension cord from his office though, yes, that would be preferred method. And no roof.

The magic answer....

Hook and Loop fabric swatches

Glued to the cover with

GOOP adhesive

2" squares patterned every 4" will allow the Velcro to grip the panel tight enough for 50 mph wind yet not become a nightmare when removing the panel from the cover.

Same for cable tie mounting pads. 1/2" square swatches are enough to hold 1-1/2" cable tie pads. Black or white Velcro won't interfere with rolling up the cover and they look pretty good.

You need to use solar panel WIRE to prevent the sun's UV rays from toasting the wire insulation. WEATHER PACK terminals to make a bulletproof sealed disconnect at the panel if you wish.

I would say get a good solar charger and make a single stake or double stack that goes into the ground and attach it there.

On the cover would worry me as the one I had on my camper, even nice and tight move a bit, would leave or eventually wear through and leave marks on the camper wherever you placed it.

Just from the winter winds it wore through the gutter spouts and that was after removing the extensions on them too.

After thought of its a pavement lot get one of the flag pole mounts that go under a tire and make something up to go in there. Then you can place on either side and adjust it to get the most light on the charger.

I'm liking the response from MEXICOWANDERER. It used to be you could do anything with duct tape and bungee cords. Gotta add hook and loop ... Thanks!

Nicholsfamily05 wrote:
I would say get a good solar charger and make a single stake or double stack that goes into the ground and attach it there.

This.
I too had a less than desirable experience with a cloth cover for a few months last "winter".

Anyone in Florida want a cover for a small 5th wheel.
Free if you pick it up. Only a few small holes in it.
Only used once.

"and make a single stake or double stack that goes into the ground and attach it there"


Unfortunately in many cases...

Be sure to affix a comfortable high-speed handle on it...

Attaching to cover? What cover? There is hardly anything that adheres well to Poly tarp. Besides, the tarp itself (and most cheap "covers") don't last long in heavy winds. Attaching anything to it will create stress points and it will last shorter yet.

When I needed to attach a small trickle charger - 2.5W panel - to my truck covered with tarp, I tied it to antenna. Had to make a hole for antenna anyway. It's not about keeping vehicle totally protected from humidity - tarp only has to protect from direct sun and shed "some" rain water off. Stake in the ground would work, though depending on location it might be safer to keep it somewhere high.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
"and make a single stake or double stack that goes into the ground and attach it there"


Unfortunately in many cases...

Be sure to affix a comfortable high-speed handle on it...

Apparently mexicowanderer isn't capable at building something that requires a little bit of skill just slap it together with tape, And Velcro.

Let's no try to make it look like we care about our rigs in the off season as well as when in use.

Covers are expensive why attach something to it to wear it out faster, or to have the unit bang around in the wind and damage something.

But to each his own. Just a suggestion

Extremely high tech solution. Place honorable door mat between roof and cover. When the cover comes off so does the panel. And the power wire. And the cable tie mounting clips. White Velcro swatches looks bad on a rolled up cover? Covers last ten years? Velcro is expensive? Or is it for aesthetics a little redwood house with shingles for the panel? In an RV storage lot.

BTW Camarillo, California must then equal say Mt Washinton, New Hampshire, for high wind?

Somebody be beucoup unclear on the concept...